SHARING MY LOVE OF SEWING & OTHER HANDMADE GOODNESS

It’s Only taken me 21 years to have a go!

I received my overlocker as a gift from my parents for my 21st Birthday. It’s taken me another 21 years and 3 months to get around to attaching the roller foot and plate and attempting rolled hems!

I bet we’ve all got extras (optional or otherwise) that came with our machines that we’ve never tried. I’m a sucker for reading instructions, so although I’d never attempted a rolled hem on my overlocker before, in my head I could do it.

Tonight was the night! After being full of sewing enthusiam after last nights welt pocket success I was ready to tackle something else new. Afterall, the Monthly Stitch didn’t say we only had to aquire one new skill in January! And, since i found my sewing mojo last June I’ve not challenged myself properly, I’ve only made fairly straightforward things, mainly in jersey that dont need much fitting or concentration. I’ve previously whizzed up an outfit whilst the kettle boils!

So, with the prospect of not buying any clothes in 2014 (as I’ve joined Goodbye Valentino‘s RTW Fast) I think I will have to sew more quality than quantity, hence the need to brush up on my sewing/finishing techniques.

So, here we are………my new rolled hem sewing skill…..

Think I’ll be making lots of napkins or chiffon scarfs!

I think it would be useful to finish off a shirt hem, or sew something which would benefit from a very narrow seam.

This is it turned over then stitched on my sewing machine. I didn’t press it, but it’s turnout ok.

On Sunday I made some coasters which I’m giving away in a blog about my 1950s rock n roll outfit.

Very cute, would be great in the summer sat on the patio with a glass of wine……

Although very pretty on the outside, I’d trimmed the seam allowance to within a millimentre of their spotty life and I think they would have dropped to bits after a couple of washes. So I turned them inside out and finished the very narrow frayed edges with my overlocked rolled hem.

Before & After

Still not perfect, but much better than they were. The giveaway is open until Sunday, I might even make 4 napkins to match, lovely for a picnic! (not here in the UK at the moment tho!).

If anyone has any ideas when a overlocked narrow rolled hem might be needed, please let me know, otherwise all my female family and friends will be receiving napkins for their birthdays this year, and the men will get hankies!